Fanning the Flames

A/N - Sorry to take so long with this update. Too much on my plate at the moment. I'll be finished pre-submission editing on my second novel soon and then I should get back up to speed!! Thanks so much for your patience with me as I slog through my workload.


Chapter Thirty Four

The copy-nin was suspiciously quiet for the first leg of the journey, and after four hours Kurenai's nerves got the best of her and she called for a break. “I'm just going to check on Kakashi,” she told Asuma. “He may need to stretch.”

The kunoichi slid the door of the litter aside and leaned in. “How are you doing 'shi-kun?”

“How much longer?” the jounin rasped.

“What's wrong?” she pressed. “You're awfully pale. Are you running a fever?” The kunoichi pressed her hand to jounin's forehead, ignoring the heated glare he was sending her way. “Let me just get Fujiko-san to come check you over.”

“I'm fine,” Kakashi insisted. “Why are we stopped?”

“I thought perhaps you needed to get out and move around a bit. We'll have some tea and then move on.”

“I want to get home,” the copy-nin protested. “Surely if I don't need a break none of you do either.”

“A few minutes won't make much difference,” Kurenai explained. “The twins are getting restless as well.”

“That's different.” Kakashi slowly unfurled himself and stepped out of the litter, knuckles going white as he grasped the doorframe to steady himself.

“I need to check you over Hatake-san,” Fujiko insisted. “I don't want to be dragged so far from my home just to watch you lose this baby.”

The copy-nin stopped protesting, allowing the women to settle him under a tree with the twins while they unpacked the refreshments. The guards spread out to check for danger as Asuma plopped down next to the jounin, blowing out a cloud of smoke before beginning to speak. “Kurenai is awfully worried about you, you know,” he remarked. “Even if you don't care about yourself or your child, try and remember my children need their mother too. If anything happens to you she'll be a mess.”

“She worries too much,” the copy-nin muttered laconically.

“She's a woman, it's what they do,” Asuma retorted with a shrug. “I just try and keep my head above water.”

“I'm doing everything she asks, don't expect me to jump for joy about it.” The copy-nin shook his head to clear it before continuing. “How much longer do you think?”

“We should get there about midday tomorrow. And no,” Auma continued, noticing the look that flickered across the jounin's face, “we will not push straight through.”

“I didn't say anything,” Kakashi protested, hands held wide. “I just thought you'd want to get the kids home.”

Fujiko came and hovered over the pair until Asuma took the hint and excused himself. As soon as he left she tugged the shirt up over the copy-nin's swelling midsection, motioning for silence as she moved her stethoscope across the taut flesh. “Roll over for me,” the midwife urged as she helped the jounin lay flat and maneuver onto his side.

Kakashi watched her face expectantly, waiting for the word that all was well. Instead Fujiko headed off to retrieve her bag. “Is there a problem?” the jounin asked expectantly as soon as she returned.

In lieu of an answer the midwife rummaged in her med kit. After a few long moments she pulled out a length of stiff tubing and a very large needle and syringe. “What do you think you're going to do with that?” a worried copy-nin managed.

“I don't like what I'm hearing, I'm going to drain a bit of amniotic fluid so it can be checked for infection.” Fujiko replied distractedly. She stretched a clean towel across the jounin's belly and laid the capped syringe on it as she turned her attention to the tube. “I want to put in a catheter before I start, I'd hate to hit your bladder by mistake.” the midwife joked.

“I'd rather not,” Kakashi ventured.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound optional,” Fujiko countered sternly. “You're a grown man, surely you aren't afraid of needles?”

“The needle isn't the problem. I don't want the catheter,” the copy-nin insisted in a slightly louder voice.

“I already told you it isn't optional Hatake-san. Now the sooner you relax and let me get started the sooner we'll be finished.” She kept a knowing eye on the skittish man as he wiggled out of his pants and stretched back out. “Underwear, too,” she said with a grin. The midwife smeared a blob of lubricant on the end of the tube and grasped the jounin's penis in a practiced hand, carefully threading the tip of the catheter into the slit.

Fujiko was so intent on her goal she failed to see the panic growing in the copy-nin's eyes. Kakashi tried to push down his unease and relax, but the feel of the stiff tube sliding into his burgeoning erection pushed him over the edge. The midwife found herself flying through the air to land hard against a nearby tree as the jounin disappeared into the forest.

As soon as he was out of sight the copy-nin stopped and yanked out the catheter. Stopping for a moment to get his bearings he headed out on an angle from the road, intent on reaching sanctuary as soon as possible.

Two hours later the bedraggled mother-to-be dragged himself into the shelter of a small cave. He made a few handsigns, bit his thumb and slapped his palm to the floor before collapsing into unconsciousness.

*^*^*

Ibiki glared at his former friend, counting to ten twice in his head before starting to speak. “What, exactly, did you think you'd gain by driving 'kashi out of Suna?”

“I didn't do anything to your precious copy-nin,” Kisame retorted angrily. “I don't care where he ends up as long as it's far from me.”

“And it's merely coincidence that the DVD in question is from the old Mizukage's private collection.” The interrogator fixed the tall swordsman with a baleful eye. “Do you really think I'm that stupid?”

“I have no idea what you're babbling about.” Kisame refused to admit, even to himself, that he was indeed, at least indirectly, responsible for the DVD's currently flooding all the hidden villages. Zetsu was nothing if not efficient. One per location, just a drop in the bucket from the larger collection. Besides, no one would miss them now that the Mizukage was dead.

He tuned back in to Ibiki's heated rant when two massive hands grabbed his shoulders and wrenched him around to face the scarred torture master. “Are you even listening to me? What did that little fuckmate of yours say to 'kashi about me? He left me, you know, and I hold you responsible.”

“What did you tell him about me?” the interogator growled, “At least do me the courtesy of knowing whether or not he'll ever take me back.”

“I have no idea,” Kisame bellowed as he shoved the scarred man away. He made a show of straightening his clothes before continuing. “Zetsu knows a lot about everything. It's his specialty. Besides, you're in the Bingo Book, everyone knows about you.”

“Not things that 'kashi didn't already know.” Ibiki began to pace, needing to burn off some of the adrenaline rushing through his veins before he did something he'd regret. “Fine, say you didn't know . . . what are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing,” the swordsman rumbled, turning to leave.

“That is not an acceptable answer,” Ibiki husked venomously as he increased pressure on the kunai he had pressed to the sharkman's spine. “You will find out what he said, I need to know before I try and approach 'kashi again. Since I don't trust you we'll go together and find your Zetsu. For your sake I hope he's in a talkative mood.”

Kisame grumbled and huffed, but in the end he relucantly made the hand signs to move them to the apartment he'd recently started sharing with the bipolar nin. “Might as well make yourself comfortable, I have no idea where he is or when he'll be back.”

“I don't understand,” the interrogator confessed. “Why are you here instead of with Itachi? All those years you took care of him, only to abandon him when he needed you most.”

“I did not,” the swordsman hissed. “I would never abandon Itachi. But the fact remains, he's too frail physically and emotionally for the kind of sex I find satisfying.”

“So this is all about sex?” Ibiki was feeling more confused by the moment.

“I don't want to hurt 'tachi . . . he's important to me,” Kisame confessed. “I'm afraid I tend to lose control of myself during sex, my baser nature shines through. I would rather end things now while he still has a good opinion of me.”

“He thinks you're a cheating, manipulative bastard. How is that good?” the interrogator pressed.

“Better that than seeing me as a beast, something less than human.” The swordsman headed into the kitchen to snag a bottle of sake and a couple of saucers. “We might as well relax while we wait.”

An hour later the sake bottles were empty and Zetsu still had not returned. “Might as well get some sleep,” Kisame muttered. “Follow me.” He looped an arm around Ibiki's waist and the pair wobbled into the bedroom. They fell onto the bed in a disorganized tangle of rubbery limbs. Halfhearted gestures toward separation devolved into frantic grinding and harsh biting kisses.

Ibiki shuddered as sharp teeth pierced his skin, flushing crimson as his trapped erection began to throb distractingly. “Let me help you with that,” the swordman offered, eagerly ungoing the interrogator's pants and drawing them down long legs. “You know I've wanted this for a long time,” Kisame continued, nipping at a broad shoulder. “I can't wait to have you screaming under me.”